Trout, Speckled – Florida and Louisiana

Speckled Trout grow fast, reach sexual maturity after their first year, and spawn millions of eggs over several months, all of which are favorable life history characteristics. Contrary to the name, Speckled Trout are not a trout species, instead being related to drums.

Speckled Trout are mostly caught in the Gulf of Mexico, where most populations have medium abundance levels. Speckled Trout are predominantly found in estuaries and seagrass habitats, which are areas in the Gulf of Mexico that are degraded from pollution, dredging and channeling.

The main fishing method of hook and line gear in Louisiana and Florida causes little damage to the seafloor and likely results in low levels of bycatch.